Improvement in car-couplings



W. O. GANNETT. Gar-Coupling.

No. 205,260. Patented June 25,1878.

STATES PATENT WILLARD G. GANNETT, OF 'KNOXVILLE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO MINOS MILLER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPL|NGS..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,260, dated June 25,1878 application filed May 13, 1878.

To. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. G. GANNETT, of Knoxville, in the county of Marionand State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar- Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan. Fig. 2 is a sideview and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are sectional views on the lines a: a2, y y,and z z, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all thefigures.

This invention relates to certain improvements in self acting orautomatic carcouplings; and it consists in the improved construction andarrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described,with reference to the drawings, in which- A A represent the draw-heads,which consist of castings having recesses a 1), divided by a centralwall, 0. 'Each draw-head has bearings for a transverse horizontal shaft,B, the upper side of which projects into the recesses a b.

The portion of shaft B which projects into recess 12 is notched, asshown at d, and the portion projecting into recess a is provided with apin, 0.

The portion of shaft B having its bearing in the central wall 0 is alsoprovided with a pin, f, working in a slot, g, in the said hearing, forthe purpose of confining the rotation of the shaft to about one-fourthof a revolution.

Upon the shaft B, in the recess a of the draw-head, is arranged a hookor catch, 0. The perforation h of this hook has a recess or slot, t, toaccommodate the pin 0, which said recess is slightly wider than the pin,so that the catch may be turned a short distance in an upward directionwithout disturbing the shaft, while, by turning the shaft, the catch israised by the operation.

One end of shaft B, which projects upon the side of the draw-head, isprovided with a crank, D, operated by a slotted lever, E, the endorhandle of which reaches to the side of the car.

Lever E has an arm, F, projecting upwardly to the platform or top of thecar, from where the coupling may be operated, as well as from the side.

The front of the draw-head may be recessed, and the centralwall 0provided with a vertical perforation, in order that the coupling may beused, when necessary, with the old-fashioned pin and link.

When, in operation, the cars come together, the coupling hooks of theopposite drawheads enter the recesses 12 b, and engage with the notchesdin shafts B, thus performing the coupling automatically.

To uncouple, the shaft B of one of the drawheads is turned by the leverE and crank D in a rearward direction, thus lifting the coupling-hookout of the notch in the shaft of the opposite draw-head, and at the sametime releasing the coupling hookof the opposite draw-head by turning thenotch in shaft B down and out of engagement therewith.

The operation is rapid andsimple, and may be performed without danger tothe operator.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States 1. The combination of the shaft 13,having pin 0, with the coupling-hook 0, having perforation h and recessor slot 42 of greater Width than the pin 6, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a carcoupling, the combination of the partially-rotatin g shaft B,having notch d, with the coupling-hook 0, when arranged and operatingsubstantially as herein described, for the'purpose set forth.

The partially-rotating shaft B, having notch d, coupling-hook O,'andcrank D, in

combination with the slotted lever E, having arm F, substantially asherein described, for

the purpose set forth.

4. As an improvement in car-couplings, the

draw-head A, having recesses a b, in combimy own Ihave hereto affixed mysignature in hat-A01111 wiltiahothe sihaft 1i, ligwingingliichld, 0on1presence of two witnesses.

mg- 00 an cran an e ever having arm F, all arranged and. operatingWILLARD GANNETT' substantially as herein set forth, for the pur-Witnesses: poses shown and specified. A. R. CLARK,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as L. NJHAYS.

